Process and apparatus for dispensing pastes



Dec. 22, 1936. R R|EGLER 2,065,095

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING PASTES Filed April 29, 1933 INVENTOR ill-Wen F/ey/er- ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 22, 1936 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING PASTES Application April 29, 1933, Serial No. 668,480

2 Claims.

This application relates to dispensing dye pastes and other similar slow-flowing, doughlike, highly viscous pastes. It is directed speciflcally to a method and apparatus for rendering such pastes, more particularly quick indigo pastes, sufficiently fluid so that they can be extruded into containers in which they are to be packed.

Certain pastes, such as quick indigo paste,

which is indigo white in admixture with various substances such as one or more of the following: molasses, dextrin, Binderin (residue from the sulfite digestion of cellulose), corn syrup, etc., and glue, gluten, gelatin, casein, albumin, etc., have high cohesive properties and are viscous, nonelastic, and stiif and tend to more or less set, upon standing, so that they hardly will flow at all. These pastes at ordinary temperatures .are generally too stifl to stir and if stirring is attempted, tend to move or rotate as a mass so that by ordinary methods they can be packed out through discharge orifices into containers only with great difliculty if at all.

Prior to the present invention such dye pastes 2 have been packed into containers for shipping,

sale, etc. by manual labor. The process is a tedious one and it is difilcult not only to fill a container to capacitybut to get-uniform quantities of materials into containers of the same size.

The dough-like consistency of these products seems to cause the formation of voids or air spaces within the containers and to prevent the occupancy of such spaces by the paste. Manual packaging of said dye pastes, in addition to other objections, usually results in an excessive exposure of the dye pastes to the oxidizing action of the air and causes a reduction in the quality of the packed product.

' In accordance with the method of the present application, the dye paste is subjected to a to and fro or reciprocal agitation during the dispensing process. This agitation causes the paste to become relatively fluid so that it will readily be discharged, upon the application of a plunger action, into the container or other vessel to which it is to be supplied.

The apparatus of the invention preferably comprises a vertically disposed cylindrical vessel having an outlet at the lower end and being provided with a reciprocating agitator operated by a suitable motor during the dispensing process so as to render the paste fluid.

In order that the method and apparatus of my invention may be better understood,. there follows a description of a preferred embodiment thereof. The description should be considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which,

Fig. 1 discloses an elevation, partly in section,. of the preferred apparatus; 5 Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the arrangement of the outlet of the dispensing device;

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the outlet of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 show- 10 ing the hopper shaped upper end of the dispensing device.

With particular reference to Fig. 1, the nu- I meral I designates the body or chamber of a dispensing apparatus. The body I may be suit- 15 ably supported on the structural member 2 so that the upper end thereof extends through the floor above the main portion of the container. The upper end of container I may be provided with a suitable closure cap 3 that may be suit- 20 ably arranged so as to be removable during the filling of the dispenser I. It is preferably constructed in two pieces as shown for ready removal without interference with the agitator shaft to be hereinafter more particularly de- 5 scribed. Numeral 4 represents a tiltable vessel from which the paste may be introduced into the dispensing apparatus. At its lowermost end the dispenser I is provided with a frusto-conical portion 5 having thereon a hinged member 6 form- 30 ing an outlet aperture and, in the position shown in solid lines, constituting a continuation of the frusto-conical portion 5. The outlet side of member 6 is closed by a gate 1.

Extending vertically within the chamber I is 35 provided a shaft 8 mounted on bearings 9, ID, and II so that it may be oscillated or vibrated vertically. This shaft 8 is provided with a plurality of blades I2 on that portion of the shaft located within the chamber 5. These blades are 40 suitably arranged so that by vertical oscillation of the shaft 8 the blades produce an agitation of the contents of the chamber I. The vertical oscillation of shaft 8 may be effected by a suitable motor I3 operating, through a suitable gear 45 train, and adjustable eccentric I4 connected with a toggle member I5 that oscillates about a fixed pivot I6 and actuates the collar I! fixed to shaft 8.

In Fig. 2, showing in detail the outlet portion 50 5 of the chamber i, the hinged piece 6 is adapted to swing between a position flush with outlet 22, and a position indicated in dotted lines' 6'. The outlet opening of the end member 5 is somewhat larger than the small end of the tapered piece 6, 55

while the larger end of this piece corresponds substantially with the size of the opening of the member 5, so that when the member 8 is in the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 2 a continuous tapered outlet is provided in the casing I to the outlet opening i8. When a larger opening is desired the cap 8 may be swung to the position indicated in dotted lines and thus the opening 22 will constitute the outlet.

Suitable means (not shown) may be provided to maintain the hinged piece 6 in the two extreme positions. A hand hole i9 also is provided for gaining access to the interior of the dispensing device.

Mounted on the hinged member 6 and arranged to pivot thereon at 20 is the gate or cutting member i. This gate is adapted to be opened to permit the flow of the paste from the container and to be closed to stop the flow therefrom. It may be provided with a knife edge so that on closing the outlet of the dispenser the gate serves to cut off the putty-like or dough-like shaft of paste extending from the dispenser. An additional gate 2i may be provided operating in a similar or different manner with respect to the open end of member 5 so that when the larger opening is in use and hinged member 6 is swung to the side the gate 2i will serve to check the flow of paste from the dispenser. This gate 2i is shown in the drawing as a sliding gate adapted to slide laterally across the opening 22,

Fig. 4 shows the flared upper end portion 23 of container I designed so that the material may be readily introduced into the dispensing: device. The flared portion is designed to correspond in size with the vessel 4 which is positioned so that when tilted as indicated in dotted lines the lip of vessel 4 will approximately coincide with the flared portion 23.

In the operation of the apparatus above described the indigo paste prepared in vessel 4 is introduced into the casing i of the dispenser by tipping the vessel 4 to the position indicated at 4'. The dispenser having been filled with paste, the cap 3 is placed thereon.

When it is desired to remove the paste from the container, the shaft 8 is vertically oscillated as by starting the motor IS. The motor oscillates the shaft 8 with an up and down motion so that the blades i2 as well as the shaft itself agitate the paste contained in the casing I. A rate of oscillation of 100 strokes per minute with an :agitator having a two inch stroke has been found very satisfactory but this may be varied between wide limits as the rate of oscillation does not proportionally vary the fluidity. This agitation renders the paste suiiiciently fluid so that upon opening the gate 1 the paste, due to plunger action of the shaft and to gravity, will flow from the container. The end 24 of shaft 8 is located directly above the outlet orifice i8 and in proximaoeaoas ity thereto, so that the vertical oscillation of the shaft assists in forcing the paste through the orifice as a plunger would do. The container into which material is to be supplied is located below the outlet opening and when it has been filled or when it is desired to place another container below the opening the gate is closed, thus cutting of! the extruded shaft of paste and permitting it to fall into the container. Another container then may be placed under the opening andthe gate I again opened.

\ In the filling of small containers. especially those having relatively small mouths, the piece 6 is retained in a closed position so as to properly regulate the discharge of paste. However, in filling larger containers, such as drums, etc., the piece 6 is swung asideto permit exposure of the larger opening 22, thus gaining a more rapid rate of discharge from the d p nser.

The fluidity of pastes such as quick indigo depends to some but small extent upon the rate at which they are agitated. In order to obtain the maximum degree of fluidity it is only necessary that the-vertical oscillation of the shaft 8 and blades i2 be fairly rapid. The length of the stroke in the vertical oscillation of the shaft 8 and blades i2 will afiect the rate of discharge of the material from the dispenser. The rate of oscillation may be suitably controlled by a reslstance on the motor where a motor is employed, or suitable gear trains belts, etc., or other power transmission means adapted for this purpose. The length of the stroke may be regulated by means of the adjustable eccentric I4.

I claim:

1. A dispenser for pastes comprising a vertically disposed cylindrical vessel having a tapered upper end to constitute a charging hopper therefor and a. frusto-conical lower end of diminishing diameter having a discharge opening at the apex thereof, a vertically disposed shaft within said container having agitator blades affixed thereto, said shaft being adapted for vertical oscillation, one end of said shaft being disposed in proximity to said discharge opening whereby said shaft is adapted to act as a discharge plunger for material in said container, and a motor arranged for oscillating said shaft.

2. A dispenser for pastes comprising a vertically disposed cylindrical vessel having a frustoconical end of diminishing diameter having a discharge opening at the apex thereof, a vertically disposed shaft within said container having agitator blades amxed thereto, said shaft being adapted for vertical oscillation, one end of said shaft being disposed in proximity to said discharge opening whereby said shaft is adapted to act as a discharge plunger for material in said container, and a motor arranged for oscillating said shaft.

RIEWEN RIEGLER. 

